Iron, folic acid tablets to be given to 13 crore girls every week

In an effort to prevent anaemia, the government will soon launch an ambitious programme to provide Iron Folic Acid (IFA) tablets every week to 13 crore adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 years across the country.

Health Ministry will roll out the programme across the country in the next three months under which girl students will be administered the tablets every Monday.

“This is a programme wherein we will give the tablets to 6 crore girl students in schools and another 6 to 7 crore who are outside schools. The tablets will be given to them after the mid-day meals,” Anuradha Gupta, Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission, said on Tuesday.

She also said the adolescent girls will be given six monthly dose of Albendazole (400 mg) tablet for deworming.

The aim of the programme is also to inform adolescent girls of the correct dietary practices for increasing iron intake, she said.

Briefing reporters about the India’s Call to Action Summit for Child Survival and Development in Chennai from February 7, organised in collaboration with UNICEF, she said, since 1990, the child mortality rate in India has dropped by 45 per cent.

She also admitted that there has been no progress in neo-mortality rate but hoped that the situation will improve in the coming years.

India is still among the top four that account for 50 per cent of global under-five mortality. In this context, India co-convened the June 2012 Global Call to Action on child survival along with Ethiopia and United States of America.

The Call to Action in Chennai will be a shared platform for ministries concerned and inter-ministerial dialogue for the Centre and States, Global and Indian expertise.